Today, many organizations are scrambling to be Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant in virtual environments. PCI compliance is a security standard that ensures that any company that processes, stores, or transmits credit card information maintains a secure environment for that information. Essentially, any organization that has a merchant ID needs to be PCI compliant. It is especially important because clients and vendors need to know that they can trust an organization with their sensitive data.

But how does an organization become PCI compliant, especially in an age of dynamic technological changes and sophisticated intrusions? Here are three ways that can simplify PCI compliance in virtual environments.

Adjust the scope of the anticipated solution: After investigation, an organization may have detailed all of the steps that they need to perform so that they can adhere to PCI compliance standards. However, sometimes a business cannot do it all, or at least not right away. Prioritize the tasks that must be done immediately down to those that are nice to have. Keep in mind the technology and resources required to complete the tasks as well as the timelines for completion.

Tap into expertise: If an organization knows what they want to achieve but may not have the knowledge to do it thoroughly or efficiently, it is a good idea to look into vendors who do have that knowledge and expertise. They can also advise about upcoming security advancements, protect against new and insidious cyber attacks, and advise about what can be done to protect sensitive data both quickly, professionally, and affordably.

Encrypt all data: Most importantly, every organization wanting to be PCI compliant needs to encrypt all data that they receive and transmit. Review all types of data to make sure that they are actually encrypted, and then determine if they are encrypted well and how the encryption can be strengthened. By monitoring encryption techniques on a regular basis, any business can help ensure that the data is well protected and less vulnerable to attacks.

It is imperative that any organization dealing with sensitive credit card data be PCI compliant as soon as possible and as strongly as possible. This maximizes the trust of clients and vendors, and helps ensures the continuity of a business. By realizing that one size doesn’t fit all, an organization can determine the best course of action to take, engage expertise in a range of areas, and then use this expertise and its accompanying technology to implement rock solid solutions.